


the sun without its moon

by midnight_files



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Character Death, Heavy Angst, M/M, NCT 2019, NCT Dream - Freeform, OT21 (NCT), i'm so sorry but i had to, this is inspired by an artwork which i will link in the notes section
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-22 11:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21301070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_files/pseuds/midnight_files
Summary: “I can take care of myself,” Donghyuck lies through his teeth, head resting on Renjun’s shoulder. It’s not the most comfortable place, narrow rather than broad, but Donghyuck can never resist the urge to do so when Renjun’s this close to him.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	the sun without its moon

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! i have put a [ TW. ] and [ TW END. ] in bold during sections that are a bit graphic!! just in case. :D  
it should not hinder your understanding of the text if you skip it so please do so if u dislike graphic stuff ;; <3

“Aren’t you back a little early?” Renjun asks as Donghyuck enters his cabin, having yet to lift his gaze from his papers, but being able to discern the identity solely based off of the gentle but impatient footsteps. The wooden floorboards creak under the new weight and Donghyuck continues walking, promptly sitting down on the mattress behind Renjun’s desk. “What do you want, pain in the ass?”

“Can’t you tell? I require medical assistance,” Donghyuck replies snarkily, right hand supporting his limp left arm as he raises it, as if on display. To this, Renjun finally turns his head, though he looks more surprised than concerned. “Slacking on the job, are we?”

A moment passes by as they remain staring at each other with stoic expressions, until Renjun heaves a sigh and raises himself off of his stool. He stretches his back, turning it one way and then the other, and Donghyuck watches him do so, not having much else to look at.

“Let me see, klutz,” comes the irritated mumble from the boy donning a medic’s coat. Donghyuck leans his upper torso backwards a bit, not wanting to be too close to the older as he examines his wounds. There’s a snicker that breaks the few seconds of silence and it comes from Renjun, who walks over to the cabinet on the right side of the room. “It’s just a minor sprain, you’ll be fine in a couple of days. I’d suggest taking a break from scavenging. Send Jisung out, he’s trained diligently.”

Almost instantaneously, Donghyuck refuses, eyebrows furrowed and creases forming on his forehead. “Absolutely not. He’s a baby, have you seen him?” 

“He’s 17, dimwad. You were 16 when you went out on your first hunt, remember?” Renjun retaliates, returning with a bandage roll in his hand.

Of course Donghyuck remembers.

The sun had beat down almost tauntingly on the group of survivors as they sauntered out of the campgrounds, sticking to each other like a herd of gazelles, beady eyes shifting from one partner to the other, wondering who would get picked off today. Donghyuck had been relatively nervous, but not as much as he was eager. After years of torturous preparation and adamant pleading, he’d finally been chosen to replace a fallen member in one of the squads. All he had was a machete, being a new recruit of the front line, and he remembers wielding it so tightly, his knuckles had begun to turn white.

Initially, scavenging had seemed pretty easy. They had only run into two zombies on the way towards the abandoned food market. Donghyuck remembers the sickening feeling of disappointment when he hadn’t been able to help with those kills and how he’d taken his frustration out by unnecessarily whacking one of the windows of the convenience store. His partners were enraged by his carelessness, since any noise could put them in grave danger, and ordered him to keep a lookout by the doors instead of helping with the packaging. Amid the looting however, a cry of help pierced the frantic whispers of his groupmates and Donghyuck waited for someone—anyone—to lunge in the direction of the wailing, but nobody seemed to care.

Their collective decision had burdened Donghyuck’s shoulders as he stood there, staring straight ahead with fears of seeing human flesh be torn if he moved his head even just a slight bit towards the source of the desperate screams.

After what felt like hours, a pat on the back signaled to him that they were gonna head on their way back and Donghyuck, now gazing up at one of the experienced members of the group, pressed the inquiry that had been biting away at him. “Why didn’t we help them?”

“If we stopped to help everyone, there wouldn’t be any of us left,” had come Jaehyun’s reply as they walked out the doors.

Not even a few seconds after, silence was shattered by inhumane grunts and horrified gasps. A hand had tugged Donghyuck away from the scene and shoved him back inside the store, his protests muted by his superiors. A wave of zombies had surrounded them unbeknownst to their knowledge and he hears Jaehyun mumble to Taeyong that they’d been put at risk by the lone survivor that had howled persistently earlier. Everything else seemed to fly in through one ear and out the other as Donghyuck watched the rest of the offense line struggle against the piles of zombies that tossed themselves forward, driven by hunger, and was unable to rip his gaze away.

He watched as Yukhei drove his dagger into the skull of the zombie beneath him and when the monster had fallen over, Donghyuck’s eyes widened with horror. Hendery had been lying on the ground, hands desperately clutching his knee whilst a bite mark burned itself onto his ankle. 

The only thing that managed to distract Donghyuck was a dash of white that appeared in his peripheral vision and then startled him by reappearing in front of the door. He had stumbled backwards, eyes wide open as small fists banged on the glass until eventually, the boy gave up and turned around, heading straight into the field with no weapons in sight. The end of his long coat waved mesmerizingly and Donghyuck watched his silhouette merge in the crowd.

“Is that kid crazy?” Xiaojun had whispered from behind him, causing him to almost miss the jingle of the door as it was pushed open.

“Jaehyun! Where do you think you’re—going?” Taeyong trailed off, his last word being unheard by the male who was already out the door. Donghyuck had been unsure what to expect, recalling Jaehyun’s last words to him, and was almost frozen in shock as the hunter reentered with his arms supporting Hendery. Ruckus outside had died down, the last of the zombies collapsing lifelessly (once again) on the blood stained road.

“I don’t want to kill him.”

“I can’t watch.”

“Someone else do it. I’m out of bullets.”

Donghyuck could still feel the suffocating pain he had felt that day, listening helplessly to the discussion on who would kill the infected survivor.

“We don’t have to murder him!”

The shout had silenced the chattering crowd and the next voice to be heard had been Johnny’s, perplexed and annoyed. “The adults are talking, kid.”

The same patch of white Donghyuck had caught a glimpse of earlier pushed its way through the crowd, dirtied leaves in the boy’s hands being discarded on the floor as he dropped to his knees in front of the wounded male. Johnny opened his mouth but was quieted by Taeyong, the true leader of Group C, and they all watched as the stranger unwrapped the scarf around his neck and tightened a knot over the gaping flesh. He’d shrugged off his coat, suggesting Hendery bite into it, and then fixed his attention on Donghyuck who felt a chill run down his spine as he stared into those hazel irises.

“Come here,” the boy had ordered and Donghyuck, who failed to even listen to Taeyong half of the time, felt himself complying without hesitation. 

**[ TW. ]**

“I need you to swing down as hard as you can, right underneath the scarf.” Donghyuck’s stare had been filled with bewilderment, confused mutters around them voicing his thoughts for him. His gaze lingered a second too long, it would’ve seemed, because the male spoke up again. “What? Need formalities? I’m Renjun. Now swing before we’re out of time.”

He’d been just about ready to refuse when Taeyong urged him to listen and with hesitance, he watched Renjun tighten the scarf around the calf and lifted his own arm, bringing it and the machete down lethally. Hendery’s scream, though muffled by Renjun’s coat, was still heard by Donghyuck who grimaced as he raised his arm again and whacked away at the bone until it shattered. Squelching noises filled the crowded vicinity as pieces of flesh had flown in different directions, accompanied by the sound of blood splatter. Once they’d removed the limb, the bite mark had slowly changed in color, along with the tender tissues oozing blood.

**[ TW End. ]**

Renjun had then requested Yangyang’s flask and poured a hefty amount of water onto the dirty leaves, now soggy with mud, carefully covering the sliced end of Hendery’s leg afterwards. “There. He’ll be fine in a few days, but he won’t be able to fight anymore, obviously.”

Donghyuck had watched Renjun wipe his cheek, a mixture of blood and mud smearing on the pale complexion, and remembered how persistently he’d asked Taeyong afterwards to bring the boy to their base cam-- 

“Yeah, yeah, you saved me, this and that,” Renjun cuts in, having finished wrapping Donghyuck’s injury. The latter observed his bandaged wrist, turning his forearm one way and then the other, slowly willing himself to get used to the sight. “Here, change into this. You reek.”

Fabric hits Donghyuck’s face and he removes it with his dominant hand, shooting Renjun a glare and getting an amused laugh in return. He doesn’t need to ask the male for help because extra hands are already at the hem of his shirt, carefully tugging the material off of his lithe frame. Renjun’s nimble fingers brush against Donghyuck’s collarbone, light skin tone contrasting his sun-kissed one, and Donghyuck’s breath hitches from the cold touch. 

“Looks like you’re finally gaining some muscles,” Renjun teases, easing the unblemished shirt over Donghyuck’s head and tenderly guiding the boy’s arms towards the sleeves.

“Yeah, unlike you,” Donghyuck responds, rolling his eyes heavenwards and relaxing his stiff posture when he’s fully clothed again. “Why don’t you replace me instead of Jisung? You could use the workout. You look like a stick figure.”

“You know I can’t.” Renjun sits down beside him, brushing his fringe aside and grimacing at the dirt specks caught in Donghyuck’s tresses. “Because then who would look after you?”

“I can take care of myself,” Donghyuck lies through his teeth, head resting on Renjun’s shoulder. It’s not the most comfortable place, narrow rather than broad, but Donghyuck can never resist the urge to do so when Renjun’s this close to him.

The snort that evades Renjun earns the petite male a pinch on the thigh from Donghyuck. “As if. You wouldn’t be here if that was the case.” And Renjun’s right. He wasn’t the only medic at their camp, but he was the one Donghyuck trusted the most. 

Donghyuck’s impish remark hangs readily off his tongue, but before he can get it out, piercing sirens blare sound from outside the cabin. Instinctively, Donghyuck jerks upwards and grabs his knife with his right hand, patting his side to make sure his gun is in its holster.

“No, you’re staying here,” Renjun argues, his hand reaching around Donghyuck’s body until he can wrap his fingers around the uninjured wrist. “You’re not in your best shape.”

Donghyuck moves his line of sight from where skin meets skin, now staring into those same shiver inducing hazels. “Renjun, I have to. I can’t just sit here while other people die.”

“And I can’t just sit here while you die!” Renjun argues, grasp tightening and cheeks burning a fiery red from anger. Donghyuck allows a few seconds to pass for him to take in the sight, a reluctant smile tugging onto his chapped lips when he rips his arm out of Renjun’s death grip.

“You’ve got to trust your idiot of a best friend once in a while, nerd,” he breathes out, reaching out to ruffle Renjun’s wavy locks before dashing out of the cabin door. 

The dreadful stench that engulfs him once he’s outside almost causes Donghyuck to double over with nausea. He espies Jaehyun up ahead, beheading zombies left and right as Taeyong covers him from the watchtower, sniping down the ones Jaehyun fails to see. To the right he sees Jeno wrestle a zombie off of Jaemin and Jisung stab it with a spear. 

Wasting no time, Donghyuck lets his legs carry him towards the war zone, erratically lunging towards each undead creature in sight with the intent to kill. The shirt Renjun has lent him gets dirty quickly as more and more bodies drop onto the ground, Donghyuck’s determination yet to fade. Fatigue slowly begins to catch up to him and just as Yukhei announces that Group D is going to switch in so that they can rest, a sudden weight latches onto his back and sends him tumbling onto the grass in front of him. His injured palm reaches out to soften his fall, blinding pain jolting through his body as he screams, rolling around until his attacker rests atop him. His knife is tossed aside and he reaches helplessly for his gun while trying to push the zombie away with his knee. Donghyuck can hear the cries of his name from afar, but they’re too late.

**[ TW. ] **

The gaping hole in the zombie’s cheek is the only thing he can focus on as the monster opens its mouth, ready to feed, but once its rotting teeth is mere inches away from Donghyuck’s face, he hears a grunt and the weight atop him disappears. Renjun’s standing in front of him, guts tainting his ironed clothes and steel crowbar clutched tightly in his hands. To secure the kill—or so Donghyuck assumes—Renjun thrusts the sharpened edge of the bar into the zombie’s left eye, yelping as it pops out of the socket and attaches to his weapon. Trembling, he stomps his heel into the hole and sighs in satisfaction as the front of the skull shatters, stepping into the bulging part of the brain that’s exposed. 

**[ TW End. ]**

There’s a smirk on Renjun’s lips as he extends his arm outwards to Donghyuck who scoffs, his right hand reaching out for the former’s. Donghyuck’s sure he’ll never hear the end of this, Renjun boasting about how he saved Donghyuck, how he was right about Donghyuck ending up in a fix, how Donghyuck’s stupidity would be his own downfall the next time. 

Just as he feels the warmth radiating off of Renjun’s palm, the brunette’s fingers slip from his own and Donghyuck can barely manage to shout as Renjun falls onto the floor. His hand hastily reaches for his pistol, aim precise and bullet running straight through the zombie’s skull, hitting the brick wall up ahead. 

His knees scrape against the cracked cement as he crawls over to Renjun, who’s managed to shove the immobile beast off of him. Donghyuck feels relief wash over him at that sign of life. He catches a glimpse of his best friend lying on the ground, cheeky grin hanging lopsidedly from thin rosettes and feels the blood in his body run cold once his eyes lower themselves to the junction where Renjun’s shoulder meets his neck.

“I told you so,” Renjun barely manages to croak out, gaze searching for Donghyuck’s whilst the latter scrambles frantically towards him. There’s a horde of footsteps approaching them from the distance, groups now merging to get rid of the last wave of zombies, but Donghyuck can only hear the fragile gasps of air that Renjun’s taking in. “You should’ve listened to me, idiot.”

“You’re gonna be fine,” Donghyuck says, palm patting down Renjun’s body in search for more injures. He’s unsure if the statement is more of a reassurance for Renjun or for him, but either way, their moods remains unphased. 

“Yeah? How? Gonna cut my neck off and keep me as a talking head? I’m the doctor here, Donghyuck, you’re not fooling anyone,” Renjun replies, letting his eyes fall shut, but cracking them open when Donghyuck pleads that he keeps his focus on him. “Donghyuck, don’t let it happen to me.”

Donghyuck knows what’s coming and he doesn’t want to hear it, shaking his head and speaking over Renjun with the hopes to silence the brunette. 

“Please. It has to be you,” the request is desperate and Donghyuck watches helplessly as Renjun’s expression flashes between fearful, heartbroken, and feigned confidence—for Donghyuck’s sake—in a matter of seconds. 

It’s nostalgic in the worst way.

Donghyuck remembers the same sequence surfacing on Renjun’s countenance a few months ago when the medic had failed to save one of the hunters from Group B, Sicheng. Renjun had grown extremely fond of the older male, who’d helped him communicate with the others in the camp by teaching him more Korean whilst also having secret conversations in their shared mother tongue to soothe Renjun’s nerves. The death had hit him the hardest, but when Donghyuck had tried to speak to him about it, Renjun had played off a calm facade.

“Why’d you come out here?” Donghyuck asks bitterly, tears leaving scorching trails down the hills of his cheeks as Renjun grows paler with each passing second.

“I couldn’t just sit around while you died.”

Donghyuck hates how Renjun can still think about which play on words to beat him with whilst a few breaths away from none; hates how Renjun looks smug more than scared as he glances up at him for perhaps the last time; hates how he knows he can’t deny Renjun no matter how difficult his request is, especially now when there was no escape for both of them.

Ignoring the whisper of gratitude from the male as he grabs the gun he discarded earlier, Donghyuck turns his head to the side after aiming at Renjun’s forehead.

His forefinger trembles against the trigger. Everything becomes too much to bear and Donghyuck can feel his anxiety levels rising, the threat of a panic attack dangerously close, but he knows he has to do this favor for Renjun. With the last ounce of willpower he can summon, he pulls the trigger.

“I love you.”

The gunshot fires and the metal squeaks in protest against the ground when Donghyuck drops the weapon. Renjun’s lips are still parted from the dying confession, eyes draining of color until they’re no longer the shimmering brown Donghyuck had fallen for.

It’s comical and saddening at the same time; the way Donghyuck drapes himself over Renjun’s body with no thoughts of ever moving away. Broken promises of love leave his lips, though Renjun can no longer hear him, regret mocking him as Renjun’s blood taints his calloused palms. Kun hauls him off of the deceased boy’s body a few minutes later, mentions of a burial eluding him which elicit sobs from Chenle who embraces Donghyuck, comforting him while searching for comfort himself.

Donghyuck sits there, feeling the sunrays jab into his skin like punishing needles whilst kissing away his tears simultaneously, before working Renjun’s coat off of his dead body. The pain from his left wrist is numbing, but he grits his teeth and deals with it until he dons the piece of clothing.

Raising his right arm, Donghyuck wipes away whatever taints his cheek as he recalls Renjun doing when they’d first met and then gets himself onto his feet, heading for the secluded cabin in which he belongs, searching for medical attention he’ll no longer receive.

**Author's Note:**

> ok this was in my head after i saw this aMAZING [ artwork ](https://twitter.com/je_oh_no/status/1190806405453930497?s=20)!! pls go support them bc they are so talented x__x
> 
> but yea,, renhyuck scream bickering duo to me so this was fun to write! i suck at angst and violence in general but i hope i did not disappoint T_T dis is my first ever renhyuck fic!! but i might indulge in writing them some more,, i am a renjun luvr after all and his ships are my ships ; v ; haha
> 
> please leave comments and/or concerns! i love reading them and they motivate me :DD
> 
>   
[ twt. ](https://twitter.com/sookais_)


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